Some days ago, Vorwärts published a brief item regarding the
paper I read in Zurich, on the subject of war and social-ism, and conveying
an entirely false impression of that paper. The impression is created that I
limited myself to a polemic against tsarism. In actual fact, however, as one
who is convinced that it is the duty of the socialists of every country to
wage an unrelenting struggle against the chauvinism and patriotism of their
own country (and not only of the enemy), I vehemently attacked tsarism, and,
in that connection, I spoke of freedom for the Ukraine. However, the sense
of my argument may be utterly distorted if no mention is made of what I said
of opportunism and the collapse of the Second International, and against the
stand taken by the Social-Democrats of Germany and Austria. Nine-tenths of
my paper, whose reading lasted two hours, dealt with that criticism.

I would be grateful for publication, in Vorwärts, of the
omissions I have named
(or...).[1]

With Social-Democratic greetings

Notes

[1]The notes
on Lenin’s report referred to in the article were published in
Vorwärts No. 308 of November 10 and in Wienner
Arbeiter-Zeitung No. 309 of November 7, 1914. On November 22, 1914, the
Vorwärts editorial board published a brief note replying to
Lenin’s letter, claiming that the report had criticised the stand
taken by the German and Austrian Social-Democrats and gave an appraisal of
the Second International’s collapse.